Dave, you have issues!!!! Lighten up! .................... Please confine your responses to the topic of Formula 500. Irrelevant and inflammatory statements serve no useful purpose. Disagree with me all you want but, please don't analyze me and I promise not to analyze you.

Mr. Reinhardt,

You are either missing the point or avoiding it.

I am but one vote and my vote will NEVER endorse a bike motor in this class. There are too many sled motors, both 2- and 4-cycle that should be considered FIRST. These cars were designed around sled motors. Until snowmobiles go away, I believe we should NOT avoid what I believe is best for the class. I believe that ANY sled motor would be a simpler and more straightforward conversion than ANY bike motor for obvious reasons.

I can compare anything I wish; just like you. However I wasn't comparing the auto motors to bike motors; I was comparing classes to classes. I do not want to race in a spec class. Policing a nightmare such as what you describe would be tantamount to a spec class. SCCA already HAS spec classes. If you wish to go slower and spend more money, they're waiting for you. If you want to discuss SEALED motors, we should probably start a new thread. I'll oppose that idea, too.

I'm no hot shot driver and I don't have the best equipment but, I've been knocking around SCCA long enough to know how the club works. When a motor has to appear stock, "stock" must be defined, approved, and kept within conformance. We use stock motors now. Let me tell you about "stock" and STOCK. If I buy a motor from the Rotax supplier, it comes factory assembled ready to race. If I want an "edge," I'll buy a motor from a motor builder that buys pistons, for example, by the case, weighs them and pairs them by weight (even done it some myself). Now, just s'pose we decide to use this bike motor you are pushing so hard. NOW, those same motor builders will mike cams, test springs, check balance on cranks, weigh valves, AND weigh pistons. And, guess what? I bet that motor builder will charge more for his services, too. You are absolutely right about going to junk yards and picking a motor up for relatively nothing. However, you won't win with it, sir. If you doubt me, check with the DSR guys. That's what they do and they're only two cylinders and five years ahead of you. A junkyard 4 cylinder bike motor sells for anywhere from $1,000-$3,500. A "built" motor starts at $10k, depending upon builder.

I do NOT agree with what you are implying that ALL bike motors were built to race. If so, their compression would ALL be much higher. You are suggesting bike motors and ONLY bike motors for what reason I do not know. I only know that there are other sources of motors IF WE EXHAUST ALL SLED MOTOR ALTERNATIVES. What about (both 2- and 4-cycle) jet ski motors?

In my opinion, the ONLY way a bike motor could POSSIBLY succeed in this class is if a chassis were designed around it. My definition of "succeed" is if the club competitors as a whole was able to acquire the motor at a reasonable price, install it with minimal complications, and service it at the track. At this point in time, I don't recall a F500 racer EVER having to set valves, change oil/filter, or replace cam drive components AT THE TRACK. I have seen no indication that they are ready to start, either.

dg


----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Reinhardt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: [F500] RE: Beyond powerplants/trannys


Dave, you have issues!!!!  Lighten up!
You can't compare ANY stock auto engine racecar to a bike motor. Bike motors were built to race, not get the groceries, I've been doing it for over 20 years, I know. I have been the go to person for rules writing in the kart classes most recently, and I can tell you how to tech one these motors and how to keep it fare.
  The motor is in, it clears the jackshaft, we'll find out how it handles.
You've done 2 or 3 conversions already? 1 or 2 more should be a piece of cake!!! I'm a welder by trade, not some high buck guy. I cut weld and grind all by myself. Again for about the 10th time, nobody is saying get rid of the current platform, I think this should be added to the class.

 CR

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 "Dave, anytime you leave the rules open, it can get expensive,
......." ----------------- Well, duh!
It's expensive to run them stock, too. F'rinstance, in the Touring classes,
Spec Mazda, and others, one doesn't just go to "Rebuilt Motor City," pull
out their wallet and say "One please." You purchase through an authorized
dealer; period. AND, if we went the "Restricted" route instead of the
"Sealed" route, there are still issues: Which piston is considered
acceptable, which cam(s) are authorized (hope no one does a "midnight"
regrind), how much compression is too much, not to mention balancing,
porting, etc. etc. yadda yadda. 4-cycles have literally more parts than a
2-cycle. More parts, more opportunities to "stretch the rules" and more
variance in lap times, more success to the heave spenders, again etc. etc.
yadda yadda.

"I just don't know what all the fuss is about, " ---------------- You are
absolutely right!
You need to take more time and find out what all the fuss indeed IS about.
Your postings indicate to me that you have not taken advantage of Eric's
work in maintaining the archives. There's lots of good stuff in there.

"I think a stock 600 will do just fine."-------------------- Right again.
But, probably not here.
However, you must consider (and you appear to have not yet done so) how to
monitor the engines so that they remain stock. Someone or some organization
has to manage that effort and they won't do it for free. If you think
self-governance works, you sincerely do not know the history of club (or
any) racing. If you have ever registered for an SCCA race, you will notice
a section in the payment box that is paraphrased something like "Spec Racer
Compliance fee" or "Spec Mazda Compliance fee" which is the club's way of
saying "You convinced us that you want run sealed motors. Now pay us to
make them stay that way." True, the cost is only ~$20 (for now). AND, Spec
motors come from authorized suppliers. Ponder that.

This bike motor that has you so convinced that it is our class's only
salvation must be a real gem. What's its shape, size, and weight? Is the
intake on both sides or opposed? Will the package clear the jackshaft? It
the PTO properly tapered to take a snowmobile clutch? If not, is there
enough material for a machinist to work with to machine the taper? Will the
current cooling solutions be sufficient to cool this motor, too? Wiring
harness? Throttle linkage? Engine plate? Succinctly stated, have you
successfully put one of these in a car and made it run? If not, have you
done any dimension studies? The KBS/Invader is probably (no, I am not
positive) still the most prolific chassis in use today. If the package will not fit in that chassis, you will have several hundred people opposed to its
use. These are just a few of my questions and I am NOT an engineer. I am
the guy that would have to shoe-horn that lump into my two KBS chassis. I
have done more than one engine conversion and ground up rebuild. Converting
from Kawasaki to AMW was a REAL treat. AMW to Rotax, not quite so bad.
There is always something to "fuss about." I am now facing a switch to the
493. It is inevitable. Remember, the engine alone is NOT the complete
answer. This conversion has to be accomplished by people like me, off
season, alone, out-of-pocket, and with some instructions, if possible.
Don't EVEN mention a gearbox!

If this was a 4-cycle engine out of a sled, I would be more inclined to
listen (but, still remain skeptical). Personally, I don't want this class
to become a bike motor class. SCCA will end up with enough of those.

Check the archives. It's all there.

Dave Gill


----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Reinhardt"
To:
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 4:54 PM
Subject: Re: [F500] RE: Beyond powerplants/trannys


Dave, anytime you leave the rules open, it can get expensive, I think a
stock 600 will do just fine.
I just don't know what all the fuss is about, these motors are cheeper
than what your running, and more durable, and require less fussing with.
Like the Corvette shocks, these bikes are built by the 1000's, not a
couple of hundred runs... If you need parts, you don't have to call the
only person in the country that imports them, you run down to your local
dealer, or search the web for the best price.

CR

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Engine mods in DSR are pretty much open. There are rules governing valve
train configuration. but, standard "hot rod" stuff like balancing,
porting,
cam timing, exhaust, induction, ignition, are open. The rules are much
more
detailed that I imply but, there ARE DSR's with paddle shift (no
electronics
allowed).

DSR requires either lots of brains or lots of money (which lets me out).

Dave Gill



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